Gas cabinets

Abstract

Gas supply systems and methods are described for delivery of gas to gas-utilizing process tools, e.g., gas-utilizing tools for manufacturing of semiconductor products, flat-panel displays, solar panels, etc. The gas supply systems may comprise gas cabinets that are arranged with adsorbent-based and/or interiorly pressure-regulated gas supply vessels therein, and a gas mixing manifold is described, which may be disposed in the gas cabinet or operated in a standalone fashion. In one aspect, gas supply systems are described in which vessels susceptible to cooling involving diminution of gas supply pressure are processed after pressure-controlled termination of dispensing operation, for dispensing operation achieving utilization of gas remaining in the vessel after such termination.

1 . A gas supply system, comprising:
 at least one gas supply vessel susceptible to cooling in dispensing operation involving diminution of pressure of gas dispensed from the vessel;   a monitoring system configured to detect diminution of pressure to pressure that is indicative of exhaustion of the vessel, and to terminate dispensing operation of the vessel; and   a warming system configured to warm the vessel upon termination of dispensing operation thereof so that the vessel is warmed to an extent so that pressure of remaining gas in the vessel is increased above the pressure indicative of exhaustion of the vessel, to thereby enable renewed dispensing operation of the vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The gas supply system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas supply vessel contains an adsorbent as a storage medium for gas to be supplied by the vessel in dispensing operation comprising gas desorption from the adsorbent. 
     
     
         3 . The gas supply system of  claim 2 , wherein the adsorbent comprises carbon adsorbent. 
     
     
         4 . The gas supply system of  claim 1 , wherein the warming system comprises a heater arranged to heat the gas supply vessel. 
     
     
         5 . The gas supply system of  claim 1 , wherein the warming system comprises a heating jacket arranged to heat the gas supply vessel. 
     
     
         6 . The gas supply system of  claim 1 , comprising a multiplicity of the gas supply vessels, operatively arranged so that when the monitoring system terminates dispensing operation of a first vessel, a second vessel initiates dispensing operation, to ensure continuity of gas supply. 
     
     
         7 . The gas supply system of  claim 6 , operatively arranged so that when the first vessel is warmed to enable its renewed dispensing operation, dispensing operation of the second vessel is terminated and renewed dispensing operation of the warmed first vessel is initiated. 
     
     
         8 . The gas supply system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one gas supply vessel is disposed in a gas cabinet. 
     
     
         9 . The gas supply system of  claim 8 , comprising multiple gas supply vessels in the gas cabinet, operatively arranged with a mixing manifold for mixing gas dispensed from two or more of the multiple gas supply vessels. 
     
     
         10 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A gas mixing system, comprising:
 a gas mixing manifold having multiple gas inputs have multiple mixed gas outputs;   a monitoring and control system configured to operate the gas mixing manifold and to receive feedback therefrom via signal transmission lines; and   at least one remote fiber-optic link interconnecting the monitoring and control system with at least one remote input/output interface unit.   
     
     
         13 . The gas mixing system of  claim 12 , wherein the remote input/output interface unit is configured to transmit control signals either directly to the gas mixing manifold for operation thereof or to the monitoring and control system for operation of the gas mixing manifold. 
     
     
         14 . The gas mixing system of  claim 13 , comprising multiple remote input/output interface units, wherein the gas mixing system is configured with software interlocks to prevent incorrectly proportioned mixtures from being generated, and/or to avoid conflicts between process tool demands of one or more process tools coupled in gas mixture receiving relationship to the gas mixing manifold. 
     
     
         15 . The gas mixing system of  claim 12 , wherein the gas mixing manifold is disposed in a gas cabinet. 
     
     
         16 . The gas mixing system of  claim 12 , as configured for evacuation of the mixing manifold after each mixing operation therein. 
     
     
         17 . The gas mixing system of  claim 12 , wherein the mixing manifold comprises onboard sensors configured to detect and/or verify gas purity and/or gas component proportions in a gas mixture produced by the manifold. 
     
     
         18 . A method of supplying gas from at least one gas supply vessel that is susceptible to cooling in dispensing operation involving diminution of pressure of gas dispensed from the vessel, said method comprising:
 monitoring pressure of gas dispensed from the vessel;   upon detection of diminution of pressure to pressure that is indicative of exhaustion of the vessel, terminating dispensing operation of the vessel; and   warming the vessel upon termination of dispensing operation thereof so that the vessel is warmed to an extent so that pressure of remaining gas in the vessel is increased above the pressure indicative of exhaustion of the vessel, to thereby enable renewed dispensing operation of the vessel.   
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of supplying mixed gas, comprising mixing gases from different gas supply vessels in a gas mixing system according to  claim 12 , and discharging mixed gas from the gas mixing manifold in one of the multiple mixed gas outputs thereof.